Dealing with a baby with colic

As I know a lot of my freinds read my blogs I thought I would post the following article below.  Many of my freinds and you know who you are have recently had babies. Well one the websites I promote is a baby website dedicated to baby massage, training and pregnancy/new mum products so I have to write articles relating to this subject.

I was thinking about when my children were younger (which was quite some time ago now), I remember the hardest thing was trying to sooth my uncontrollable baby who was always crying relentlessley. This happened only with my second son. But I remember the sleepless nights and constant screaming drove me close to madness. But like every other mum, I pulled through and lived to tell the tale. Back in those days we didn't have the internet so getting accurate medical information and advice was harder. Anwyay I decided to write about colic and what you can do to ease the condition....

Dealing with a baby with colic

Listening to a baby persistently crying is much more than just a parenting nuisance. Having to listen to the constant crying and the exhaustion associated with it can trigger much more serious problems, such as relationship stress, postnatal depression and much more. So doing nothing about it and just putting up with it is not a good idea.

Colic is a common condition in which a baby cries or screams a lot more than normal. But what is normal? Well if your baby cries more often than not there is something not quite right. All babies cry as it’s their way of communicating to you. But if you have fed your baby, changed its nappy and done all the normal things but the baby still won’t stop crying then it probably has colic.

The cause of colic is not just one thing; it can refer to a variety of causes including stomach gas, intestinal gas, neurological overload and muscular spasms. Symptoms are constant crying for hours without being able to sooth or comfort him or her. The baby may arch his or her back, become stiff, clenches fists, and just in general look not very happy and being in some kind of pain. A baby can get worked up from something to the point where neurological overload can take over.

The way to deal with colic will be different for each baby. You want to start off by trying some basic techniques like walking or dancing around with your baby. Taking the baby out for a drive in the car sometimes helps or a walk in the fresh air, the feeling of movement can help to settle babies with colic.

Some babies will benefit from a dummy. Now not every mum will want their child to get into the habit of using a dummy but if it eases problems with colic it is worthwhile. Dummies are easy to wean off when the child is older.

There are medicine about and some claim to improve the symptoms of colic but unless the doctor is completely sure the colic is down to wind for example, it is very hard for doctors to give out the right medicine.

An alternative method which is centuries of years old is baby massage. Baby massage has been a tradition in countries such as India for thousands of years. Indian baby massage is more than that; it is their way of life. Baby massage has many benefits for both mother and child but in regards to colic it helps to strengthen and regulate their digestive system including respiratory and circulatory systems. Also massaging a baby helps to enhance the babies feeling of being loved and feeling secure which can relieves the symptoms of colic, wind and constipation.

So if your child is suffering from colic don’t despair, there are things you can try. Some technique will work for some babies others technique will work for others. It is just a matter of trial and error. Your baby will grow out of this stage, not many babies past the age of 6 months suffer from colic. Talk to your health visitor or doctor is you’re concerned, but babies are tougher than you think and many conditions like colic are common in babies and soon pass. Soon you will be worrying about something else!

Looking for Baby Massage courses or Massage Training? Check out MamaBabyBliss for classes, training, baby products and more.